Tobacco-stemming machine



June 15 192s. 1,589,323

C. L. ROBERTS TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE Filed June 11 1925 f III [I l m I||| II I-H-AIM.

fHH H T'TW ATTORNEY Patented June 15, 1 926.

UNITED STATES PATENT orries.

CHARLES LEVJIS ROBERTS, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERI- CAN TOBACCO COMPANY, OF NEW YORK,'1\T. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TOBACCO-STEMMING -MACHINE.

Application filed J'une 1 This invention is an improvement in tobacco stemming machines, and more particularly in ,machines for removing in a substantiallyunimpaired condition the tip portions of the leaf containing the smaller stem portions which are utilizable in the manufacture of tobacco products.

A relatively large area of the leaf at the tip end which contains only stem portions of small cross' section, is not necessarily involved in the stemming operation, for in this portion of the leaf, there is no stem of a size that will unfit the leaf for use in recognized processes.

This area includes from to of the leaf, and a like amount of the central stem, and in the usual methods of stemming, it is subjected to more or less handling by machinery, and a consequent liability to injury.

One of two methods is usually practicedin stemming tobacco. In one the lamina is turn from the stem by mechanism which operates longitudinally of the leaf, generally from the butt toward the tip. In the operation the lamina is more or less mutilated, and a relatively 1 large portion remains with the stem.

In the other, the tobacco leaves are subjectedto a disintegrating'action, which separates the lamina from the stem portions in a more or less fragmentary condition, and with a very large proportion ofvery fine particles, which are not readily utilizable in the ordinary processesto-which the tobacco is subjected especially those'which include flavoring'. j

One of the primary objects of the present invention is'the provision of. a step in the method of handling tobacco, in the practice of which a relatively large area ofthe:leaf is emancipated from the handling required in the stemming of the leaf.

Another object :is theprovision of a machine for carrying out theimproved method, wherein mechanism 'isprovided for removing the tin portions of the leaves, while in the hand,-.in a substantially unimpaired condition, and prior to the operations designed to remove the woody stem portions.

Another object is theprovision insuch a machine, ofmeans to .firmly grasp hands of tobacco during the transportation-thereof past the removing mechanism, irrespec- 1, 1925. Serial No. 36,298.

itive1 of the manner in which the hands are arc.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing, and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the method, and in the construction and novel combination of parts fully described hereinafter, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims appended hereto, it being understood that various changes 1 in the. form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims, may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the improved machine.

Fig. 2is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a bunch of'hands, showing the method of arranging the same, during the operation.

Inthe present embodiment of the invention, a suitable table 1 is provided, having supporting legs 2 and asuper-structure 3. Carrier belts 4 and 5 are provided for transporting the tobacco longitudinally of the table. These belts are arranged at each side ofthe center of thetable, and spaced apart, and aresosupported that the'upper runs of the belts move over thetabletop. The belt 4 is supportedby rollers 6, while the belt 5 is supported by similar rollers 7. 'The'rollers Sand 7 at the front-end of the-table-aremountedon a common shaft- 8, supported by the table, with the rollers directly below an opening 9 in the table, the arrangement being such that the .belts pass through the opening 9 as they leave-the rollers. The rear roller 6 is journaledbelow an opening '10 intermediate the ends of 'the table, and the rear roller? is journaled below an opening 11 at v the rear Chutes 12 and l3 are-arranged at the openings and 11=respectively,the former-being designed to receive the butts ofthe leaves, and the latter the tips of the leaves. The table has an opening 14. between the belts 4 and 5, and between. the openings 7 and 10, and cutting mechanism is-arranged 'atthe opening. The said mechanism includes a toothed cutter disk 15 secured to a shaft .16 journaled' below the table, and an upper disk or plate 17 secured to a shaft '18, -above the table and between zthe top thereof and thesuper-structure. The-edges and l? lap, as indicated at common chord sub-tending ginents is level with the upper faces of the belts l and 5. Theshafts 1G and lriveu f om a suitable prime mover, also the rollers 6 and 7, to s supplied to the belts l 1 "i by an opera or, who stands at an extension 19 at the left id of the table. A

e belt or (11 13011 20 carries the tobacco to the operator, the belt being supported by rollers 21 one of which is shown, said rollers d mover before on l the tobacco is fed to the machine, and thrc ah the machine, in hands, indicated atand the hands are not unbound to operate upon the individual leaves, but the cutting is done with the leaves in the hand. The hands are held down upon the feed belts 4 and 5, by means of pairs of endless chains 23, each pair coopenting with one of the belts l and 5. The chains are supported by sprocket wheels 2a at one end of the table, and by sprocket wheels 25 at the other end. The

by the prime inc wheels 24- are secured to a shaft 26, and the wheels 25 to a shaft 27, either of which, preferably the shaft 26, is criven by the prime mover before mentioned.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noticed that the members of each pair cooperate with one of the belts 4-5, the lower runs of the pair normally resting on the belt 4 or 5 as the case may be. The chains are heavy, and are of such length that a large amount of slack chain. The slack lower runs lie upon the hands of tobacco moving with the belts l and 5, and hold the hands firmly down upon the said belts during the operation of cutting. The upper runs of each pair of belts are supported by the super-structure 3 before mentioned, the said super-structure having channel guides 28 through which the upper runs move. The hands are not necessarily separated or spaced in any manner, when they are fed upon the belts -5. They may be bunched, several hands in a bunch, but the heavy, flexible chains will hold them firmly in place, whether a single hand or sev ral. it will be understood that the tip portion of the leaf which is adapted for use, and the stem portion of which is not involved in the stemming operation, amounts to from to of the area of the leaf, and its length is measured from the tip of the leaf. While the leaves are not of the same length, they are generally arranged in hands, each of which includes a number of leaves of somewhat near the sai 1e length. l-len e a cut transversely of the hand a selected distance from the tip will remove all of that portion of each leaf in the hand, which is not involved in the stemming opis provided in the lower run of each oration. Because of the different lengths of the hands, the hands are not butted, but are preferably laid upon the belts 4-5, with the hand tips in something near alinement, as indicated at Fig. 2.

Tobacco treated in the manner just dos :ribed, is especially adapted for use in the method set forth in my co-pending applications, Ser. Nos. 36,297 and 36,299 of even date herewith. The severed leaf tips are in condition for further processing as they stand, and the butt portions may be subjected to the action of a disintegrator, to thoroughly break up the stem portions and detach the leaf portions therefrom, after the stem portions have been separated from the leaf portions, the larger fragments thereof may be added to the leaf tips, which are dipped to flavor in the usual manner. The smaller fragments may be showered onto the dipped pieces as described in the last mentioned application.

In the operation of the machine, the hands, which are fed to the extension 19 of the table by the belt 20 are placed on the belts 45-5 by the operator with the tip ends of the hands in approximate alinement. The hands either singly or bunched, are firmly grasped by the slack runs of the heavy chains, and are held against displacement. As the hands are advanced, they reach the cutters l5-l7, which sever the hands into two portions, one of which the butt portion contains all of the stem portion which it is desirable to remove. Just beyond the cutters and in alinement therewith, a partition 29 extends longitudinally of the table top. This partition acts as a deflector and guide. for the tip ends of the leaves, and the butt ends of the hands, deflecting and guiding the former through the opening 11 and the chute 13, while the hand butt ends are guided to the opening 10, and through the chute 12.

I claim:

1. A machine for transversely severing tobacco leaves into tip and butt portions, including a feeding mechanism for moving the hands in a direction transverse to their length, said mechanism comprising a plurality of means arranged in spaced relation to firmly grip the hands near the opposite ends thereof, and mechanism between the said means for cutting the hands transversely.

2. A machine for transversely severing tobacco leaves into tip and butt portions, including a feeding mechanism for moving the leaves in a direction transverse to their length, said mechanism comprising a plurality of means arranged in spaced relation to firmly grip the leaves near the opposite ends thereof, mechanism between the said means for cutting the leaves transversely, and a plurality of discharge chutes for the portions, one to receive the butts and the other the tips, and spaced apart from each other, the feeding means arranged to deliver the portions to the appropriate chutes.

3. A machine for transversely severing tobacco leaves into tip and butt portions, in cluding a feeding mechanism for moving the leaves in a direction transverse to their length, said mechanism comprising a plurality of means arranged inspaced relation to firmly grip the leaves near the opposite ends thereof, and mechanism between the said means ior cutting the leaves transversely, the cutters comprising cooperating cutting disks, one of which is toothed.

4. A machine for transversely severing tobacco leaves in the hand into tip and butt portions, including a feeding mechanism for moving the hands in a direction transverse to their length, said mechanism comprising a plurality of means arranged in spaced relation to firmly grip the hands near the opposite ends thereof, and mechanism between the said means for cutting the hands transversely, each of the said gripping means including a lower endless belt and a pair of chains above the belt, the lower runs thereof normally resting upon the upper run of the belt.

5. A machine for transversely severing tobacco leaves in the hand into tip and butt portions, including a feeding machanism for moving the hands in a direction transverse to their length, said mechanism comprising a plurality of means arranged in spaced relation to firmly grip the hands near the opposite ends thereof, and mechanism between the said means for cutting the hands transversely, each of the said gripping means including a lower endless belt and a pair of chains above the belt, the lower runs thereof normally resting upon the upper run of the belt, each chain of a length to provide a relatively large amount of slack on the lower run.

6. A machine for transversely severing tobacco leaves in the hand into tip and butt portions, including a feeding mechanism for moving the hands in a. direction transverse to their length, said mechanism comprising a plurality of means arranged in spaced relation to firmly grip the hands near the opposite ends thereof, mechanism between the said means for cutting the hands transverely, each of the said gripping means including a lower endless belt and a pair of chains above the belt, the lower runs thereof normally resting upon the upper run of the belt, each chain of a length to provide a relatively large amount of slack on the lower run, and means for supporting the. upper runs of the chains.

7. A machine for transversely severing hands of tobacco leaves into butt and tip portions, including cutting mechanism, a plurality of feeding means cooperating to advance hands of tobacco past the cutting mechanism, a discharge chute for each of the portions into which the hands is severed, and spaced apart from each other, the feeding means arranged to deliver to the approriate chute, and means beyond the cutting mechanism to separate the butt and tip portions. 1

Signed at Richmond in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia this eighth day of June A. D. 1925.

CHARLES LEWVIS ROBERTS. 

